Letters to the editor: Liberal bias clouds view of Obamacare

• “It’s big, it’s complicated and few people know what’s really in it.”

Additional Photos

A recent editorial about the delay in implementing a provision of the Affordable Care Act didn’t take note of President Obama’s exaggerations about the law’s benefits, a reader says. 2012 File Photo/The Associated Press

Neither you nor your staff have read this 2,400-page monstrosity.

It is not supported by the majority of citizens, and two-plus years after being forced down the throats of the public, it is admittedly unmanageable and not able to be set up by October 2013.

• You say critics “attack the uncertainty of the health care reform program” after it “projected the collection of $10 billion in penalties” and say “it is too big and too complex to ever work.”

Max Baucus, an architect of this bill, says it is heading for “a train wreck.”

The Government Accountability Office judges the cost to run billions over Obama’s initial lies. Yes, lies, such as reducing costs, ability to keep our present doctors, a myriad of hidden taxes, buried in the “Foggy Bottom” of this failed attempt to rewrite medical care, instead of correcting its faults — mainly financial solvency.

Taking $800 billion out of Medicare was the answer? They are fools!

• The Affordable Care Act “is still the country’s best bet to organize a more efficient and effective health care system.”

How? You give no specifics to your claim — none!

There are two: “children’s” care, up to age 26, and forced acceptance of prior medical conditions.

• It seems “far-fetched” that the political delay in implementation until January 2015, as you claim, is another ploy by its detractors.

Were details of Benghazi, targeting conservative groups seeking 501(c)(3) status, “Fast and Furious” and other scandals politically far-fetched as well?

• “Further sap confidence in the program”?

You and the Obama administration ignore the imploding of this foolishness and your “view” adds to the deception.

Your view is not worth reading. Nor is the Herald, which we are canceling because it has no balance!

Walter Gilpin

Portland

Failure to expand Medicaid puts politics before people

On behalf of Homeless Voices for Justice, with whom I am an advocate, I would like to express our disappointment over the governor’s veto of L.D. 1066. This bill would have expanded Medicaid to nearly 70,000 Mainers who are unable to afford health care on their own.

For someone who has said he will put people before politics time and time again, we are quite saddened to see that Gov. LePage did just the opposite when given that opportunity.

Expanding access to health care for tens of thousands of Maine people is putting people first and is the right thing to do.

Homeless Voices for Justice operates out of Preble Street, and every day we see how important health care is to our community. MaineCare allows our members to see a doctor for preventative care and get the necessary mental health and substance abuse services they need to help overcome illness and addiction. Having MaineCare provides peace of mind, and it most certainly saves lives.

But my interest in MaineCare expansion is much more personal. I am one of the 10,500 people who will lose their MaineCare coverage as of Jan. 1, 2014.

Thankfully, being a veteran of the U.S. Navy, I’m also covered through the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides most of the services I need today. But as I don’t have a service-connected disability, Maine- Care covers the critical health services I need that the VA does not.

As someone whose father has multiple sclerosis, I am worried that I, too, will develop this terrible disease. And if that day comes, I will need MaineCare to cover the extensive and expensive services I would need.

We don’t understand the argument that we can’t afford to expand health care. The truth is we can’t afford not to.

Thomas Ptacek

Homeless Voices for Justice

Portland

Rearview mirror might have saved bicycler’s life

The unfortunate tragic accident that recently took the life of a young biker might have been avoided if he’d had a bike rearview mirror. A mirror should be standard required equipment (like a helmet) for any road biker.

Like many other bikers, I had a similar experience when I suddenly found myself on a major highway while biking on an unfamiliar route and was passed by an 18-wheeler at more than 55 mph.

I was traveling on a two-lane highway without any shoulder, and an oncoming car was in the opposite lane. I saw the truck approaching from behind and clutched my handlebar with both hands. I think my mirror saved me from being blown off my bike.

A mirror could very well have saved the life of the young biker killed recently in Maine. He would not have been drinking from his water bottle if he had seen the approaching truck coming from behind. He would have had both hands on the handlebar. It might have saved his life.

John A. Boothby, M.D.

Falmouth

LePage challenged to make ends meet on $7.50/hour

Given the recent veto of an increase in the state’s minimum wage by Paul LePage, I would challenge the governor to survive on $7.50 per hour.

By the time he paid his mortgage or rent, utilities and insurance, purchased groceries and paid for medications, the poor fellow would have little left to purchase Vaseline!

In the next 10 years, the government will make $184 billion off the student loans. So, our tax money is used for student loans for our children, and the government in turn takes yet another opportunity to rob us blind.

Does this bother anyone else? Most of our children will leave college with some debt that they will struggle to pay off, so why are we allowing the government to make billions off that debt?

We should demand that they make only enough for administrative costs. After all, it is our money. How much are the employees of this department making? Perhaps a report should be done on that. I’m sure these government employees are well paid while our children are in debt.

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